Concerns about a Japanese drug maker's health supplements containing "beni-koji," or rice fermented with red yeast, are also spreading overseas.

Five deaths have been reported in Japan in association with the products manufactured by Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical. The patients reportedly developed kidney problems and other health issues.

In China, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's supplements and other products are widely known. Chinese state-run media outlets have been extensively covering the related news and the topic has gathered attention on social media as well. The company announced it has suspended the sales of its products marketed online in China. It is also calling on customers to stop taking the supplements, adding that it will recall them voluntarily.

In Taiwan, local media outlets reported that a woman in her 70s, who lives in the southern city of Kaohsiung, was diagnosed with acute kidney failure in March last year after starting to take a supplement containing "beni-koji" three or four years ago.

The reports said the woman took the supplement that was manufactured by a Taiwanese company with Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's ingredients.

Local health authorities said it remains unclear whether the supplement induced the health problem. They added that they found records showing that the ingredient was imported to Taiwan. More than 30 local businesses are recalling products containing the ingredient.

As for Hong Kong, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said its products containing beni-koji have not been sold. It added that it will recall products bought in Japan.

In Vietnam, the health ministry is warning the public not to take the supplements on the government's official website. It is also calling on people to report to authorities if they find the products. The ministry officials say the supplements have not been officially marketed in the country.

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Japanese baseball superstar Ohtani Shohei is heading back to the United States without his interpreter, Mizuhara Ippei. The Los Angeles Dodgers have fired Mizuhara over allegations of illegal gambling and theft.

Mizuhara has often been steps away from Ohtani since the two-way player moved to the US in 2017. He traveled with the Dodgers to Seoul for the opening game of the Major League Baseball season.

However, lawyers for Ohtani then called the relationship into question, saying he has been the victim of a "massive theft." They did not disclose further details or specify who was responsible. Ohtani left Seoul on Friday and has not commented.

But US media outlets said Mizuhara used Ohtani's money to pay off illegal gambling debts of 4.5 million dollars.

US sports network ESPN reported that Mizuhara had said Ohtani agreed to pay the money. But he changed his story the next day, claiming Ohtani didn't know anything about the gambling. A spokesperson for the Dodgers reportedly said Mizuhara told the team that he has an addiction and that the entire situation was his fault.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts declined to comment when asked by reporters about what Mizuhara told the team.

Authorities in the US are already investigating the gambling allegations. And officials with the league are likely to look into the matter themselves.

Friday marks two months since a deadly earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in central Japan. More than 11,000 people are still living in temporary shelters due to their severely damaged homes and a lack of infrastructure.

The magnitude 7.6 quake hit on New Year's Day. The cities of Wajima and Shika in Ishikawa Prefecture recorded tremors of the maximum intensity of 7 on the Japanese scale. The quake also generated tsunami, destroyed buildings and caused fires.

Ishikawa officials say 241 people have been confirmed dead in the prefecture due to the disaster, while seven others remain missing.

The number of people sheltering in evacuation centers stood at 11,449 as of Thursday. Of them, 4,733 were taking refuge at hotels and other accommodation facilities away from their home communities.

Many evacuees cannot return home because tap water remains cut off or their houses have not been repaired. Others are waiting to be allocated temporary accommodation.

Ishikawa officials say they will expedite work to restore water, roads and other damaged infrastructure. They say they will also accelerate the construction of temporary housing.

The officials also say they want to allow volunteers and civil employees from outside quake-stricken areas who have been supporting recovery efforts in the prefecture to stay for much longer.

Many of them can currently only work for a limited period due to a lack of lodgings where they can stay.

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Multilingual consultation has been offered in quake-hit Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan to support foreign residents who lost their homes and jobs due to the New Year's Day earthquake.

Officials from the Ishikawa Foundation for International Exchange and the Immigration Services Agency jointly held a consultation session in Kanazawa City on Thursday.

Visitors could get the service for free with assistance of interpreters in multiple languages. Consultation was also available online.

A Filipino visitor was working as a care giver at a group home for the elderly in Wajima City under the government program for specified skilled workers.

But she lost her income source as the group home suspended operation after the quake.

She said her dormitory was damaged and unsafe to stay, so she spent about a week at a shelter, then moved to an acquaintance's home in Kanazawa.

She asked a consultant if she can get any financial support for quake-affected people and received advice on how to get such benefits.

She said her life is now so tough with no job, as she needs money for everything, including a place to live.

The immigration agency says the number of foreign nationals working in the hard-hit Noto region, including foreign technical interns, was over 3,200 as of June last year.

But the service desk accepted only five consultations, including those online, at Thursday's session.

The foundation plans to hold another session on Thursday next week at the Ishikawa Prefectural International Exchange Center in Kanazawa.

Takahashi Kenshi, a senior official at the foundation, says the body is trying to deliver information to foreign residents, but some of them are apparently not updated with such information.

The official is calling on local people who know foreign nationals to inform them about the service.

Major League two-way star Ohtani Shohei has appeared before fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time since he signed a contract with the team.

Ohtani took part in a fan festival at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. When he joined a talk show, many fans raised their smartphones to take photos and videos.

Asked what he thinks about the stadium filled with fans wearing the team's blue uniform, Ohtani said it makes a sharp contrast to his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, whose color is red. He said he feels that he has become a member of the Dodgers.

Asked about his relationship with his interpreter Mizuhara Ippei, Ohtani joked that they are only business partners, not friends.
Mizuhara has been interpreting for Ohtani since the baseball superstar joined the Angels.

In concluding the talk session, Ohtani said the only choice is to win the World Series, and it would be great if fans join the team's fight to achieve this goal.

Later, he spoke to reporters about the condition of his right elbow following surgery last year.

He said he has been hitting flips and off a tee and that he is likely to be hitting off a machine in a pre-season camp that will start on Friday in Arizona.

Ohtani added that he is "very confident we are right on schedule," indicating that he will play as a designated hitter in the season opener against the San Diego Padres to be held in South Korea on March 20.

As for pitching, he said he will probably start with throwing lightly in the camp and take a cautious approach.

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2024年2月2日

People in Japan are marking one month since a magnitude 7.6 earthquake rocked communities along the Sea of Japan coast.

240 people were killed and 19 remain unaccounted for. Thousands more living in temporary shelters are looking at a long road toward recovery.

Authorities in Ishikawa prefecture are working to support the survivors, but it is a daunting task. As of Wednesday, over 46,000 homes were confirmed to be damaged, many of them in the Noto Peninsula.

That has forced over 14-thousand people into evacuation centers. Almost 4,000 of them are living in secondary evacuation centers, such as inns and hotels, often in areas far from their homes.

In many places, running water remains offline. More than 40-thousand houses and businesses, mainly in Noto, still don't have access to it. It is expected to be restored in some areas by the end of March. But others may not have running water again until April or later.

Yokozuna Grand Champion Terunofuji has won his ninth sumo tournament by defeating Kotonowaka of the third-highest rank of Sekiwake in a playoff.

The two wrestlers had 12 wins and two losses each before the final day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.

Kotonowaka beat Tobizaru with an overarm throw.

Terunofuji defeated Kirishima of the second-highest rank of Ozeki with a frontal force out.

In the playoff, Terunofuji beat Kotonowaka with a frontal force out, claiming his first title in four tournaments.

Terunofuji won the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament last year, but dropped out halfway through the following tourney and sat out two more due to injuries.

Researchers say the massive earthquake in central Japan on New Year's Day has caused ground upheavals as high as about four meters.

They made the announcement after surveying areas around Kaiso Port in Wajima City, which lies in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula.

They confirmed a ground upheaval of about 4 meters by comparing water levels before and after the disaster.

The pre-quake level was determined using the location of shells and lugworms on a breakwater.

The researchers also found an upheaval of 3.6 meters in a reef on the port's northern side.

The coastlines of northern Wajima and Suzu city have three-step terraces believed to have been formed in massive quakes over the past 6,000 years.

Group leader Shishikura Masanobu of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology says 4-meter ground upheavals are quite rare.

He points out that the Noto Peninsula was formed by the phenomenon, but it only occurs on this scale once every several thousand years.

Sources have told NHK the air traffic control instruction of "number 1" that indicates the order in which planes should take off at Japanese airports will not be used for the time being.

The move comes after the misinterpretation of the phrase could have led to last week's deadly collision between a Japan Airlines passenger plane and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft on a runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.

The Coast Guard aircraft is believed to have mistakenly entered the runway after its pilot possibly misinterpreted "number 1" as clearance for takeoff. Traffic controllers and the JAL pilot were reportedly unaware of the aircraft's location.

NHK has learned of emergency safety measures compiled by the transport ministry following the accident.

The measures include having air traffic controllers give takeoff permission to pilots without telling them their number in the lineup. This will apply to Haneda and other airports nationwide.

The numbers representing takeoff order are widely used at airports across Japan. They are used as practical information to facilitate smooth flight operations, rather than instructions by air controllers.

Other safety measures will require air carriers to closely monitor the runways from the cockpit during takeoff and landing.

Authorities will also make pilots more aware of air traffic control terms for entering the runway.

The stop line before entering the runway will be painted with more visible colors at airports, including Haneda, Narita, Osaka and Kansai.

The transport ministry has recently established a new air control post in charge of constantly monitoring a screen to confirm the locations of airplanes at Haneda Airport.

US Defense Department Press Secretary Pat Ryder has said "Our hearts are with the Japanese people" after Monday's powerful earthquake in the Noto Peninsula.

Ryder said on Thursday, "We remain in close communication with the Government of Japan and we do stand ready to aid in any way that would be most helpful to Japan."

He also said the US forces in Japan are in regular contact with the Japanese government to discuss how they might help, should assistance be requested.

Casualties rising after Monday's massive quake on Sea of Japan coast

Rescue operations are still underway after a deadly earthquake struck Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, on New Year's Day. At least 48 people are confirmed dead in Ishikawa Prefecture, but that number could rise as many more are still trapped under collapsed buildings.

Japan's Meteorological Agency has lifted all tsunami advisories along the Sea of Japan after the quake struck the area on Monday afternoon. But officials warn that strong aftershocks may occur in the next week, especially over the next two to three days.

City officials in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, say 25 houses there have collapsed. Firefighters resorted to chainsaws to get into collapsed buildings to free those trapped inside.
Fires caused by the quake have also destroyed about 200 homes in Wajima.

In nearby Suzu City, officials confirmed more than 50 houses have been leveled.

An NHK helicopter on Tuesday morning captured footage of a makeshift SOS sign made out of chairs in a Suzu parking lot.

Thousands of people in affected prefectures are taking shelter at evacuation centers.

Some areas have had their water supply cut off. Residents have been lining up to receive drinking water.

Hospitals in both Wajima and Suzu have been treating the injured.

The quake also triggered mudslides in both cities, severing major roads.

A seismologist with Kyoto University, Goto Hiroyuki, said several short tremors followed Monday's quake. He said they happened exceptionally fast, making wooden homes more susceptible to damage.

Similar tremors were observed during the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that struck Hyogo Prefecture in 1995. That quake killed 6,500 people and forced over 300,000 from their homes. Goto says there could therefore be extensive damage from Monday's quake.

Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates has apologized after admitting that its late founder Johnny Kitagawa sexually abused minors over many years.

The agency's president, Fujishima Julie, held a news conference on Thursday following the release of a report last week by a third-party panel that looked into the allegations of sexual abuse.

Fujishima said, "Johnny & Associates and I myself are both aware that Kitagawa committed sexual abuse. I offer my sincere apologies to those who were victimized."

Fujishima also said that she had resigned as president, and a veteran member of the agency, Higashiyama Noriyuki, had replaced her.

This is the agency's first news conference since a number of men came forward to allege that they were sexually abused by Kitagawa when they were minors. Kitagawa died in 2019 at the age of 87.

The third-party panel says in its report that Kitagawa abused a large number of boys over decades, most of them backup dancers known as "Johnny's Juniors," who were waiting to make their debuts.

The report notes that in a family-owned business it can be difficult to stop illegal acts due to close personal ties. It says Fujishima, who is the late founder's niece, should resign to enable the agency to make a new start.

Fujishima said she takes the panel's recommendations seriously, and stepped down on Tuesday.

Higashiyama, who also took part in the news conference, admitted Kitagawa's sexual misconduct and apologized.

He said he feels really sorry for those who were victimized and those who have felt physical and mental pain for a long time. He said he will retire from his showbiz career by the year-end to sincerely deal with this matter.

Higashiyama was a member of a boy band. He has also worked as an actor and a news anchor.

Fujishima said she will remain as the agency's representative director to better deal with the matter and make decisions. She said she is thinking of stepping down from that post when relief measures for the victims are well on track.

Investigative sources say Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke told police that he and his parents had decided that he would tidy up the scene after the couple committed suicide.

Ennosuke, whose real name is Kinoshi Takahiko, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of helping his mother kill herself by giving her sleeping medication.

Ennosuke told investigators that he assisted with his parents' suicides, and was going to follow them by killing himself.

Ennosuke and his parents were found collapsed at their home in Tokyo on May 18. Both parents were confirmed dead. Tokyo police said they may have died of a psychotropic drug overdose on May 17 or the next day.

But when the police searched the family's house, no containers related to the pills were found.

Police believe Ennosuke threw away the pill packaging.

Investigative sources say Ennosuke said in questioning prior to the arrest that he and his parents decided to commit suicide together because of negative coverage in a magazine.

A report on a scandal involving Ennosuke was published on the day they were found collapsed.

Ennosuke also told the police that the three decided that he would clean up after his parents had taken sleeping medication.

The police are investigating the details of his actions.